


set my heart ablaze

by glamouroki



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Age Changes, Alternate Universe - Creatures & Monsters, Fluff and Angst, Found Family, Hate to Love, Heterochromia, M/M, Mild Gore, Minor Character Death, Psychologists & Psychiatrists, Slow Burn, Supernatural Elements, Superpowers, Wen Jun Hui | Jun-centric, my adorable tsundere minghao agenda, set in miss peregrine's home for peculiar children universe, yes we are doing that trope
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-19
Updated: 2021-03-21
Packaged: 2021-03-28 08:28:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,550
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30136788
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/glamouroki/pseuds/glamouroki
Summary: Fourteen years ago, Junhui's mother was on her deathbed, leaving him nothing but an aching memory and to live the rest of his lonely life without a mother's caring guidance.An old postcard and a mysterious orphanage inhabited by a group of even weirder people change his life completely. And while there are deadly consequences, Junhui thinks this— the love of a family and the presence of a certain foul-mouthed boy who can't stop getting on his nerves— is nothing he wants more.
Relationships: Choi Seungcheol | S.Coups/Hong Jisoo | Joshua/Yoon Jeonghan, Jeon Wonwoo/Kwon Soonyoung | Hoshi, Wen Jun Hui | Jun/Xu Ming Hao | The8
Comments: 4
Kudos: 24





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is a work of purely fiction. I do not own any of the characters, and in no means does this fic reflect the lives of any real life characters in the story.
> 
> no knowledge of miss peregrine's home for peculiar children is required!

"Only four years ago," Junhui's psychiatrist Ara says aloud, flipping the postcard in her hand back and forth. "It's possible she could still be alive." 

"The address is on the card," Junhui speaks up for the first time during today's session. "Chinsun Island. That's where the orphanage is. It's not that far from Incheon." he licks his dry lips, "Wouldn't it be a good idea for me to visit that island?" 

Immediately, His aunt glowers at him to display her obvious disapproval of the suggestion. "The answer is no," she replies firmly, successfully souring Junhui's mood within seconds. "You don't even know this person." 

"She said she was my mother's close friend on the postcard." Junhui argues. 

"She's still a complete stranger," his aunt scowls, her earrings dangling on her lobes. "How do you even know she's trustworthy?" 

Junhui senses an impending headache. "It's worth a try," he attempts to persuade. His aunt has always been unnecessarily stubborn. "Shouldn't you at least grant me this after hiding this postcard from me for four years?" 

"You still have a whole life ahead of you," his aunt protests. "You shouldn't have to destroy your future just because of some stupid mistakes your mother made." 

"How I want to live my life is for me to decide!" 

The raise of his voice resounds throughout Ara's office. His uncle Hyunsik looks between the two of them nervously, seemingly worried that a huge argument would break out in another one of Junhui's appointments with his psychiatrist. 

Ara, however, poses serene and unbothered. Her patience is admirable but considering her line of work, it's extremely necessary. They've already been here for half an hour. 

"Personally, I agree with Junhui." Ara's words evidently startle his aunt. Most of the time, the psychiatrists have been on her side. "Mrs Wen, this woman has stated to be one of his mother's past close associates. Letting Junhui meet her and this orphanage could perhaps provide closure, along with allowing him the chance to... let go." 

Now that even the psychiatrist has voiced her approval, Junhui's aunt turns hesitant. "Are you sure?" 

"The postcard is an invitation specially for Junhui to visit the orphanage. Given her choice of words, it sounds like she knows about him and his mother to an extent." Ara explains. 

"See? Even Ara agrees," Junhui huffs, "Besides, maybe meeting her would let me find out more about Mom before she passed away." 

"But who will take you there?" his aunt retorts, eyes narrowed. "I'm not going to put my life on hold just to accompany you to this remote island." 

"You don't have to. I could go myself, I'll be nineteen soon this year." 

"Absolutely not," his aunt responds firmly. "I don't trust you to go alone." 

Junhui's patience is threading on a thin line. "Hyunsik could take me!" he yells, gesturing to his uncle. "I can go look for the orphanage myself and he could go birdwatching. He can treat it like a mini vacation." 

"I don't mind," Hyunsik states. His aunt whips her head to the side to send her husband an accusatory look, seeming irritated. 

"Then it's settled," Ara's the one to speak this time, jotting something down on the papers attached to her clipboard. She stares at the three behind her thick rims of her spectacles, leaning forward to return the postcard to Junhui. 

Seated beside Junhui, his aunt releases a defeated sigh. "Do what you want, I suppose." she mumbles under her breath. Junhui ignores her, simply content that his wish would be granted. 

Choi Jiae is the name of the sender of the postcard. Junhui's never heard of this name in his entire nineteen years of living.

His aunt may be right about the part that she's a complete stranger, but to be fair Junhui never quite got the chance to find out much about his late mother. She died when he was five. Apparently, she was gravely ill and succumbed to death when her body couldn't take it anymore.

Junhui was the one who discovered her lying in her bed, lifeless and no longer breathing. Afterwards most of his memories are blurry and he was reluctantly taken in by his aunt and her husband. 

Four years ago, Jiae wrote to him and asked how he was, noting she hasn't seen him since he was an infant. That meant they'd met once, though it's a pity Junhui's unable to remember her face. 

Memories of his own mother's face are gradually beginning to fade as well, unfortunately. 

Jiae said Junhui's mother didn't want him to find out about the orphanage until he was at least fifteen. She sent the postcard two days after his birthday, adding that she hoped Junhui would be able to visit Chinsun soon. 

_The children would so love to meet you,_ as she had written, along with a photograph of the orphanage's building. 

Now, Junhui's on his way to fulfil her request, sitting with his uncle on a medium-sized boat and willing himself to not be seasick with every rocking motion the boat makes. 

"You sure you're okay?" Hyunsik asks worriedly. 

Junhui waves a hand nonchalantly, "I'm fine." he reassures, brushing aside the strands that fall on top of the black eyepatch covering his right eye. He glances down at the travel guide book on his lap, desperate to find something to distract him from his dizziness. 

"Chinsun has a population of ninety," Junhui says. "And there's only one motel. That's where we're going to spend the night." 

Hyunsik hums. He looks upwards, pointing his finger towards the sky. Junhui follows his gaze and spots a large bird soaring through the cloudy skies, occasionally letting out a loud screech. 

"Look at that," Hyunsik whistles. "That's a peregrine falcon." 

"There are peregrine falcons around the island?" Junhui wonders, watching the bird flap its wings and fly away freely without any care in the world. 

"Hopefully. They're pretty majestic creatures." Hyunsik exclaims. He pats Junhui's shoulder, "We're almost there." Junhui turns around, watching the small island before them get closer and closer. 

He shifts his focus onto the open book on his lap and the postcard sent by Jiae pressed between the two pages like a bookmark. The boat captain yells they've arrived at their destination just as he shuts the book and shoves it into his bag.

The boat stops and they get onto shore, the minimal bags and belongings they'd brought along in tow. Chinsun's air is fresher, much nicer than what Junhui's grown used to in the bustling city of Incheon facing air pollution. 

"The internet service in this place sucks," Junhui taps on the lagging screen of his phone with a loud sigh, dragging his small luggage towards the motel. It isn't hard to spot.

"It's a remote island, Junhui. What did you expect?" Hyunsik barks out a laugh. "It would've been more convenient if this Choi Jiae person just sent a text or gave a phone call, am I right?" 

Junhui shrugs. "Maybe she just prefers writing postcards." 

They receive a warm welcome by the motel owner the moment they step through the door. While his uncle chats away with the owner, Junhui takes his time surveying his surroundings. It's a pub but there aren't many customers today. 

"Your room's upstairs," the owner tells them, passing Hyunsik the room key. "You're free to come down to dine at the pub whenever you're hungry." 

Hyunsik thanks him and they walk up the flight of stairs. 

The room is cramped— which isn't a surprise since it's a small motel on an island— with two single beds, a tiny bathroom and a small television that doesn't have more than five channels. Hyunsik puts away their luggage on the ground first. 

"We can go check out the island," Hyunsik pipes up. "I saw some people that look your age outside the motel. You could ask them where the orphanage is." 

Here's the thing. Junhui's never been good at interacting with new people. 

Aside from his reclusive and shy nature, he believes his childhood trauma plays a part in it. Seeing his mother dead left him shaken for a good several years. He spent most of his days at school by himself. 

His condition doesn't make anything any better. Junhui has a rare case of heterochromia, his left eye is a normal brown but the irises of his right is a shade of crimson red. It's unusual and has never happened to anyone else before. His aunt made him wear an eyepatch, which resulted in him rarely ever taking it off.

Most kids at school didn't want to befriend the boy whose mother was dead and wore an eyepatch like some sort of freak so they stayed away from him, hence him developing some kind of social phobia. 

Thankfully, Hyunsik is understanding and approaches the group of boys in his stead. He comes back with two boys appearing to be the same age as Junhui that scan him from head to toe. Junhui pretends not to be anxious in their unfamiliar presence. 

"We don't get many visitors," one of the boys say. "We'll be happy to lead you to the orphanage." 

"I'll be heading back to the motel, Junhui." Hyunsik informs him. "Good luck." he adds, walking away. Junhui watches his figure disappear into the motel, swallowing a lump in his throat. 

"C'mon," the other boy beckons him over, Junhui's feet moving on instinct to follow them as they walk further and further from the motel. "What's your name?" 

"Junhui."

"Nice. I'm Felix. That's Chris." both boys have a slight accent. Junhui nods wordlessly. "What's with the eyepatch?" 

"Injury," Junhui lies. 

Chris hums in acknowledgement. "Reminds me of the time I got attacked by a squirrel," he murmurs, sharing a snicker with Felix. "The little creature lunged at me and nearly scratched my eyeball."

"Uhh," Junhui starts awkwardly. "Are you okay then?" 

"Perfectly fine. That happened like, ten years ago." Chris replies. "There are weird things that live on this island, like deranged little squirrels. Gotta be real careful all the time." 

That's a bit weird. Both boys are a bit weird actually, and from what they say this island seems to be even weirder. Junhui bites on his bottom lip, his hands balling into fists. At least they weren't creeped out by his eyepatch. From his experience, kids in the city are less chill and more judgemental about it. 

But maybe that's because Chris' words may imply the people on this island have dealt with worst compared to an outsider who wears an eyepatch and asks to look for the only orphanage around. 

Felix taps his shoulder. "There," he makes a hand gesture towards the trees across a small stream. "The orphanage is right after you get past those trees." 

"Woah. Um, you sure?" 

"Definitely," Felix answers confidently. He bestows a gentle smack on Junhui's arm, grinning from ear to ear as if they're close friends. "Now off you go." 

Junhui looks at the two smiling boys who have their thumbs up, then looks back at the forest. The tall trees seem to taunt him. He gulps, mustering up all the possible courage he owns to cross the stream and step towards it. 

Chris cups his hands around his mouth, "Have fun!" he shouts. 

And then Junhui's left alone. He can feel the wind in his air, messing up his bangs and the crunching of dead leaves underneath his sneakers. Jiae's postcard remains inside the pocket of his hoodie. 

He pulls the hood over his head and walks into the woods, as brave as one could possibly be. Chris did say there were weird things that live on this island. Junhui can only pray it's nothing more dangerous than unhinged tiny animals that like to attack humans. 

True to Chris' words, the orphanage was right after the trees. 

Except it's not there anymore. 

Junhui's heart drops. 

There's no orphanage nor any sign of human life inside. It's abandoned, creeping with overgrown vines that take over the grungy building like it has a mind of its own. It looks like it hasn't been in use for ages. Is he too late? What happened to Jiae and the other orphans? 

He doesn't know what possesses him to make him advance towards the building. There's a greenhouse with a large hole in it that provides him a perfect entrance despite his doing being quite literally trespassing. Hopefully, he won't be fined for it. 

He's cautious not to accidentally step on any pieces of shattered glass. The furniture inside is either destroyed or covered in layers of dust. 

There's a picture frame laying on the ground, scattered with everything else. Junhui bends down to pick it up, making a huge mistake when he brushes the dust off. Inhaling the excessive dust causes him to go into a wheezing fit and he nearly coughs up a lung. 

The picture frame in his hands is a photograph of a group of unfamiliar people, undeniably taken in front of the orphanage when it was still in use. A beautiful woman stands in the center of everyone, a sweet smile gracing her face and her arms slung around the shoulders of two teenage boys. 

He suspects the woman must be Choi Jiae. The problem at hand is he doesn't have a clue where she nor any of the people in the picture are as of now. 

Dread pools in Junhui's gut as the thought of the other possible explanation crosses his mind. 

While Ara said there's a possibility Jiae could still be alive, they could also be dead. They probably _are_ dead. The abandoned orphanage could be enough proof. 

Junhui gently sets the picture frame on the table and continues venturing into the orphanage. 

The old stairs creak with every step he takes. The bedrooms are all empty, equally covered in so much dust. He sneezes, exiting one of the rooms and makes his way downstairs again. 

The world seems to halt when Junhui sees the human figure of a boy standing by one of the broken windows. 

"Who are you?" the boy questions. 

Junhui instantly panics. "Fuck," he swears under his breath, whirling around. His eyes widen almost comically when there are, in fact, _more_ people, hiding behind doors but still watching him closely. 

He'd just been caught trespassing. Junhui turns and runs. 

He rounds a corner of the house and almost trips over his own feet when there are even more people, having abruptly appeared out of nowhere while Junhui was busy looking around. He changes route and runs in the other direction. 

A panicked yelp escapes his lips when he finally does stumble and trip over his own feet like the klutz he is, hands flailing helplessly as he lands face-first on the floor, accidentally hitting his head on a few bricks. He blacks out after that. 

When Junhui slowly regains his consciousness, he realises he's being dragged across the ground by his feet like a sack of flour. 

His head aches. His vision is still blurry as if the world won't stop spinning. He lets himself be dragged against his will. 

However, whoever is dragging him eventually drops him on the ground, eliciting a soft groan from him. Junhui rubs his head and forces himself to get up, blood turning ice cold as he's face to face with the people he ran from inside the orphanage. 

"Oh my god," Junhui, the idiot he is, blurts the first thing that comes to his mind. "I'm so sorry for trespassing." 

One of the boys who looks no older than fifteen tilts his head. "Trespassing?" he sounds confused. 

"Yeah," Junhui pauses for a bit, feeling terribly awkward. Curse his shitty socialising skills. "I went in when I wasn't supposed to." he stares at the group of what seems to consist of mostly teenage boys and smiles sheepishly, "So, um, who are you?" 

The boy who spoke to him earlier smiles brightly, "I'm Hansol!" he answers with enthusiasm. 

An older boy clamps a hand over Hansol's mouth. "You aren't supposed to tell him!" he grits his teeth, looking at Junhui with clear distaste in his eyes. "He could be dangerous. What if he's one of them?" 

"One of what?" Junhui couldn't help but ask curiously. 

"I don't think so," one of the other boys answer. They ignore Junhui's question. "Jisoo said he saw him on the boat earlier. It has to be this guy."

"Jisoo?" Junhui mumbles, brows knitted together in confusion. Who's Jisoo? 

The previous boy sneers at Junhui. "Fine," he huffs. "But we still can't trust him. We need to take him to Seungcheol first."

"Agreed," another boy speaks up, nodding. 

The boys start moving. "What's going on?" Junhui asks, a mixture of confused, afraid and baffled. He can't comprehend the situation at all and none of these boys seem to eager to answer his questions.

The boy who clearly doesn't like him lets out a scoff, much to Junhui's irritation. "We're waiting until the coast is clear," he says. "Seungcheol sent us to get you."

"Who is Seungcheol?"

"You'll meet him later," a younger boy explains, grabbing his arm to tug him elsewhere. "Let's go."

Junhui wanted to ask _go where_ yet those words automatically dissolve on his tongue. He still has no idea who these people are but he swears he recognises some of their faces from the picture frame he found inside the house.

Even so, aren't they supposed to be dead?

They guide him into what almost looks like a ravine with a narrow, dark passage, hints of sunrays barely seeping in through the gaps above. The older boys hold onto the hands of the younger boys to ensure they don't slip.

Junhui follows them, until they stop walking.

Again, the world around him seems to stop in time. Junhui distantly hears indistinct whispering— he doesn't know where the source is, there's no one talking— and the ticking of a clock or a time bomb. 

_Tick, tock. Tick, tock._

He thinks he's going mad. When he blinks again, he looks at the group of teenage boys from the corner of his eye and everything— the realisation, the madness of this absurd and peculiar situation— comes crashing down on him. 

Junhui takes off and books it out of there without another word to spare. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ✧ chinsun island is a fictional island located near incheon that i came up with  
> ✧ jun's eyepatch is like the one hange from attack on titan (the love of my life) wears for better visualisation  
> ✧ i have not read the miss peregrine's home for peculiar children book yet lmao & this fic will not be entirely based on it either!! i made my own changes uwu


	2. Chapter 2

Junhui's steps pound in time with his increasing heartbeat. It feels like he's running a marathon, pounding his sneakers across the ground while darting pass trees. His lungs strain and his breaths start coming in short gasps.

Even with his burning calves and ragged breathing, his mind still races faster than ever. Frantic thoughts fill his head, fueling his anxiety and confusion. He sprints faster, praying those supposedly dead boys wouldn't chase after him.

Throughout his search for Jiae and the orphanage, Junhui's only come to one conclusion. This island is weird, the orphanage and the woman he came to seek even weirder. 

There's something about this place he can't wrap his head around. The boys he met at the orphanage didn't answer any of his questions and they were obviously not normal people. Not like Chris, Felix or anyone else on Chinsun. There's something peculiar about them too. 

He initially thought they were dead. It seems he was wrong. 

They were in the picture frame Junhui discovered, standing alongside the woman he assumes is Choi Jiae, headmistress of the orphanage. But where is she now? And who are Jisoo and Seungcheol? 

Questions. So many questions, yet still unanswered. Junhui's head aches. 

He ends up returning to the motel to find Hyunsik, planning to flop onto his bed and ponder about this for the next few hours. Perhaps he'll venture back out there tomorrow. Or maybe he'll go back to Incheon, to his tyrannical aunt, bringing no answers about his deceased mother and a dozen more questions back with him. 

The pub's business is booming when Junhui finally gets back, a stark contrast to how empty it'd been before he left earlier. Junhui ignores the customers' chatter and wearily makes it to the stairs. Hyunsik is probably out birdwatching on the island. 

"Hey," a gruff voice directed at him calls out, momentarily startling Junhui out of his wits. He meekly turns around.

An older man with a moustache and bushy eyebrows is glaring right at him, "Where do you think you're going?" 

"Uhh, upstairs?" the commotion draws most of the customers' attention and Junhui suddenly feels uneasy. "I'm a guest. I have a room key."

The man with the moustache scoffs, "Do you think this is a hotel or something?" he scowls, much to Junhui's bafflement.

"Y-Yeah?" Junhui replies, failing to stop himself from stammering. "Talk to the owner, he'll tell you I'm—" 

"I _am_ the owner, eyepatch boy." 

A few men rise from their seats and begin approaching Junhui, prompting him to step backwards until his back hits the staircase pillar. One glimpse at the angry looks on their faces is enough for Junhui to feel very much intimidated.

One of them grips his collar, lifting Junhui from the floor with a surprising amount of strength. Well, not _that_ surprising given that the man's huge muscles are already scary to look at, but Junhui is nearly six feet tall.

"You think he's a spy?" another man asks, snarling at a bemused Junhui. 

"What? I'm a tourist!" 

"He probably is," the one holding him responds, "His accent sounds awful." He clenches his fist and rears his elbow back like he's about to punch Junhui in the face. Junhui yelps, squeezing his eyes shut and fearfully waits for the impact to hit his jaw.

A loud crash interrupts the man's intention. Screams belonging to the other customers fill the air as floating objects fly back and forth the pub, which results in glass shattering and alcohol splashing over the counter. 

The grip on Junhui's shirt loosens while the man is distracted. Shoving past him, Junhui beholds the unusual sight horrifically. Things are floating and being thrown around as if a ghost is present, sending people screaming in fright and scrambling out of the pub, their unfinished food and drinks left behind. 

The last thing he expected to see on this island was paranormal activity occurring in front of his very eyes.

Chinsun continues to surprise him. 

"Idiot! Don't you at least know how to defend yourself?" an outraged voice yells. A gloved hand reaches out to grab Junhui's shoulder, pulling him away before things can escalate further. "C'mon!" 

Without much of a choice, Junhui reluctantly complies. He locks gazes with a silver-haired boy his age— the one he met at the orphanage and who had suspected he was 'one of them', whatever that meant— who has one of the long black gloves he's wearing held between his teeth, harshly pushing Junhui out of the pub. 

Once they exit the pub, Junhui turns around just in time to see the boy place his bare hand on the wall, setting the building on fire. Legitimate, actual fire. His jaw drops, the indistinct shouting in the background suddenly sounding very distant. 

He doesn't get the chance to ask if he's hallucinating or did the boy actually set the building on fire when he's forced to get onto a wagon with the other boys. The boy who can wield fire puts his glove back on, tugging on the horse's reins and the wagon starts moving. 

It's only when they're a safe distance away from the motel does Junhui snap out of his daze and realise he's being kidnapped.

Instead of jumping off the wagon and making a run for it like he should be doing, Junhui looks at all the boys staring at him and releases an anxious, forced laugh, "So, um, where are we going?"

"The loop," Hansol replies. "To meet the others."

"Who are the others?" Junhui questions. "No, wait, who even are you guys? What happened back at the motel? Things were floating in the air and that guy—" he jabs a finger towards the boy driving the wagon, "touched the building and set it on _fire_."

His visible eye twitches. He probably looks and sounds like someone who's lost his mind but he's fairly certain his reaction is justifiable. The boys don't look bothered either.

"Well, you definitely weren't hallucinating," a voice speaks up. None of the boys had opened their mouths.

Junhui's this close to actually leaping off the moving wagon.

"I think we should start by introducing ourselves first. He looks like he's about to have a stroke," a boy whispers to the others, acting as if Junhui couldn't hear him. He then turns to Junhui and offers him a friendly smile. "I'm Seokmin. You already know Hansol, and then there's Seungkwan and Mingyu."

"Hi," the boy with auburn hair, squeezed between Hansol and Seokmin, waves a hand. "I'm Seungkwan."

"He's Mingyu then?" Junhui gestures once again to the boy with silver hair driving the wagon, who had been silent throughout the whole ride. 

"Nope. That's Mingyu," Hansol points a finger at the empty air beside Junhui. 

"Hello!" the voice that has no face or body greets brightly. Junhui blinks in shock. "I'm Mingyu!"

The air is speaking.

"You're... air."

"He's invisible," Seokmin corrects. He bends down to pick up a briefcase and passes it to where Mingyu is supposedly siting. The briefcase full of clothes opens on its own and an invisible body begins putting them on.

After his clothes are all on, the form of a teenage boy appears. This time, Junhui can actually see Mingyu smile at him as if he wasn't invisible just mere moments ago.

"You were naked?"

"Yeah."

Junhui settles on simply nodding, deciding to deal with the questions later. If he racks his brain and thinks now, he's sure he'll descend into madness sooner or later.

"Oh, and he's Minghao, by the way." Seokmin motions to the wagon driver. He looks to be the oldest out of all the boys, Junhui notes. "You'll be introduced to everyone else at the orphanage when we get there." 

"Okay," Junhui swallows the lump in his throat. So the people in the orphanage aren't dead after all. "What happened back at the motel?" 

"We started a pub fight and Minghao burned the place down." Hansol says. 

"So the flying objects—" Junhui glances at Mingyu. "That was you?" 

Mingyu gives him a big smile, revealing his snaggletooth that looks like a canine. "Yes." he admits proudly. 

He looks like he's only fifteen. 

Junhui purses his lips. 

"The people at the pub were acting weird," Junhui states, "And the owner was a different person. The place looked a bit different too. They didn't know I was a guest." 

"That's because we're in a different year." Seungkwan explains, though it's not much of an efficient answer because Junhui does not understand. 

"What?" Junhui raises an eyebrow. "It's 2021, isn't it?" 

"It's 1950," Hansol says. 

"March 25th, 1950, to be exact." Seokmin adds. 

"You're joking." 

None of the boys look like they are. If it were any other situation Junhui would've just assumed they were kidding but according to recent events, the possibility of him being in the past isn't impossible. Going back in time probably isn't even the most bizzare of things he's witnessed today.

The teenage boy sitting beside him could literally turn invisible. 

"For us, it's 1950 all day, every day." Minghao says abruptly. Junhui didn't anticipate him to be the one to break the silence. "It's our loop." 

"What's that?" 

Minghao pulls on the reins. The horse neighs and trots faster, making the wagon shake a little. 

"We'll be reaching in five minutes," he ignores his question, irking Junhui a little. 

"This is insane," Junhui blurts, unable to hold back his tongue this time. At this point, he's too shocked to think rationally. "This— This can't be real. This can't be happening. We aren't actually in the 50s, right? You're lying to me." 

"Why would we lie to you?" Hansol asks.

"Look," Minghao's tone indicates annoyance. "You'd be dead if it weren't for us. So you best keep your mouth shut and sit quietly until we get back to the loop."

"How can you expect that of me?" Junhui retorts incredulously. "Pretty sure if you were in my shoes you wouldn't say something like that, would you? Getting kidnapped by a bunch of teenagers who have powers, telling me I've gone back in time doesn't happen to anyone every day."

Minghao intakes a sharp breath. He doesn't turn around to look at Junhui nor does he stop the wagon, but his words practically drip with venom.

"If you don't shut up," Minghao warns lowly. "I'll burn you to a crisp. Understand? Now zip your mouth."

"Seungcheol told us to be nice to him," Seokmin intervenes before Junhui can snap something as a response.

"Well the one-eyed moron is making that task very hard," Minghao huffs. "We saved his goddamn life."

"He isn't being totally illogical though," Mingyu pipes up. He pats Junhui's arm, "I'd be scared if I were you too. I completely understand." he says sympathetically. 

"Me too," Hansol nods along. 

Junhui manages a small smile. At least the other boys are nice enough.

They eventually arrive at the same place Chris and Felix had led Junhui to, except almost everything looks way different than when he saw it earlier today. Behind the trees and large shrubs is not the abandoned and damaged version of the house he found. The one he sees now looks intact and perfect. 

The scenery is honestly breathtaking. Junhui can't help but gawk in awe. 

Instead of old moss and overgrown vines covering the dirty house whole, there's blooming flowers and less moss on the brick outer walls. Various types of flowers, plants, trees and two stone statues on each side of the front porch decorate the outside, creating a welcoming and lovely sight. 

The double doors open just as Junhui follows the boys up the porch steps, behind them revealing a tall and lean young man with a head full of black hair. 

He looks as if he'd been expecting Junhui's arrival. 

"Right on time," the man exclaims, clutching a pocket watch. He extends his free hand for Junhui to shake. "Choi Seungcheol. Delighted to meet you." 

Junhui shakes his hand. So this is Seungcheol. Not Jiae, but they do have the same surname. 

"I do hope I won't have the pub owner and the police knocking on our door again," Seungcheol chuckles. Junhui notices the other boys tensing. "I've had to kill them twice this month." 

The smile on Seungcheol's face is so unwavering when he makes that statement. Junhui isn't even sure if he's joking. Most likely not, and that thought sends a shiver up Junhui's spine. 

"Mingyu broke a few things," Seungkwan admits. "And Minghao _may_ have burnt the place down. But they were going to hurt him. We had no choice." 

Seungcheol arches a brow. "I see, we'll talk about this later." he jerks his head towards the inside of the house. "Don't just stand there. Come in." 

While the boys shuffle into the house and Seungcheol closes the doors, Junhui takes in his new surroundings. His old sneakers are probably dirtying the carpet the longer he stands here. There's a chandelier attached to the ceiling and a large stairway in front of the entrance. His ears pick up multiple voices further inside the house. 

"I told those five to retrieve you, but they went ahead to destroy property and start a fire at the local pub." Seungcheol exhales a sigh. "That must've been a... new experience for you. I'm terribly sorry." 

Junhui nods slowly. Seungcheol's presence makes him feel nervous. Maybe it's the social anxiety kicking in around strangers, but Seungcheol's aura is different. Dominating and authoritative but still sincere and kind. He's probably head of the orphanage or something. 

Then what about Jiae? Who is she? 

"How did you know about the pub?" 

"Well," Seungcheol smiles warmly. "Let's just say I have a remarkable sense of intuition, Junhui." 

He disregards Junhui's puzzled expression and strides pass him, making his way down the hall.

Junhui hurriedly goes after him, "You know my name?" he says, bewildered. 

Seungcheol hums, halting in the middle of the hallway. "I do."

"What, are you going to say that's part of your intuition too?" 

The man laughs, "No, no." he denies, turning around to face Junhui. "My aunt used to be quite acquainted with your mother. She knew you." 

He turns on his heel and continues walking down the corridor. "Now, would you like some tea?" he suggests. 

At a utter loss for words, Junhui dumbly follows the man into the kitchen. 

Minghao is leaning over the stove, both hands bare of gloves and pressed against the sides of a boiling kettle. Upon noticing Seungcheol and Junhui, he picks up the kettle by the handle and pours two cups of tea. 

"Thank you, Minghao." Seungcheol says. Minghao nods, but his expression twists into one of distaste when he glances at Junhui. Junhui frowns and returns the same look. 

"Wonwoo!" an unfamiliar voice calls outside the kitchen, followed by the padding of footsteps. "Let me help you with that!" 

Standing in the doorway is a lanky boy with glasses carrying a stack of containers. A dark-haired boy shorter by a few centimeters is beside him, probably the one who yelled a while ago. Which means the one with glasses is likely named Wonwoo. 

"It's alright. I've got it." Wonwoo mutters. Then he turns around and walks away without even sparing the newcomer a single glance.

"Wonwoo, wait—" the other boy pauses as soon as he sees Junhui. "Oh," he lets out, waving a hand sheepishly. "Hi."

Junhui awkwardly waves back. The boy smiles and then he's gone, presumably to help Wonwoo with whatever he's doing.

"That was Soonyoung," Seungcheol tells Junhui. "The other one was Wonwoo. They're close. Both your age, too."

"They're nineteen?" Junhui asks.

"The majority of the orphans here are teenagers from age thirteen to nineteen. Our youngest is seven." Seungcheol explains, "Minghao here is eighteen."

"Oh," Junhui stares at a frowning Minghao. "He's younger than me."

Minghao scowls, slamming the kettle down on the table. "I was born decades earlier than you," he says through gritted teeth, storming out of the kitchen with his gloves tightly gripped in one hand.

"What's wrong with him?" Junhui mumbles under his breath.

"He's... short-tempered," Seungcheol sighs again.

"Clearly," Junhui's reply makes Seungcheol giggle. "What did he mean though? He said he was born decades earlier than me."

"He's right. We live in a loop, and those who live permanently inside one stop aging over time." Seungcheol says. "If someone who lives in a loop is to ever exit it for more than three days, they'll age forward how many years they spent inside one."

"They told me it's the year 1950."

"It is," Seungcheol confirms. "The loop resets at the end of every day, so we're living the day March 25th, 1950 over and over again. For us peculiars, loops are our safest chance at survival."

"Peculiars?"

"I'll get to that," Seungcheol takes the cups of tea and hands one to Junhui. "Shall we take our tea outside?" he asks, although he's already half-way out the kitchen door.

The backyard is wide and magnificent, a great example of demonstrating nature's beauty. Junhui's breath is automatically taken away by how gorgeous the place is. There's a bunch of people in it too, filling the atmosphere with laughter and happiness.

"Peculiars are people who possess uncommon abilities that normal human beings don't," Seungcheol's explanation brings Junhui out of his thoughts. Junhui subconsciously nods. "Hence the name peculiars. We all live in places like this." 

"Why do you?" 

Seungcheol's silent. He turns his head to gaze at the backyard, eyes softening at the people he sees. He clears his throat, "How about I introduce you to everyone in the backyard and their peculiarities first? You already know Mingyu and Minghao's, right?" 

"Invisibility and fire?" 

"You're correct," Seungcheol's smile displays the dimples on his cheeks. "Hold on, someone's coming." 

Immediately after he finishes his sentence, someone comes running from between the bushes. Before they can say anything, Seungcheol pulls out his ticking pocket watch, "Thirty-eight seconds late, Soonyoung."

Soonyoung rolls his eyes. There are leaves stuck in his tousled hair that he brushes off with ease. "Yes, yes. Sorry."

"Done helping Wonwoo?"

"We've just finished collecting ingredients. He's going to be conducting one of his experiments later," Soonyoung explains with a smile on his face, then directs his gaze onto Junhui. "Hi again. What's your name?"

"Junhui."

"So you're the guy Minghao's been grumbling about ever since he got back," Soonyoung says. Junhui can barely manage a reaction let alone a retort as Soonyoung turns back to Seungcheol, "How many carrots do we need for supper?"

"Just one will do." Seungcheol smiles. Soonyoung gives a mock salute and runs off in the opposite direction. 

Junhui watches his figure disappear from his line of sight, "What's his peculiarity?" 

"Soonyoung can make plants grow at will. He's in charge of food supplies. The carrots he grows are super huge." 

"You said he's nineteen, right?" Junhui says. "How much older are you than us?"

Seungcheol hums, "I'm only twenty-one. Ridiculously young to run an orphanage and a loop, isn't it?"

"I suppose." Junhui won't deny that when Seungcheol's already admitted it himself. Truthfully, he's a bit surprised by the news as well. But Seungcheol _does_ look twenty-one. 

"Well, luckily for me, I'm not the only one running this place."

They walk further into the backyard, Junhui about a step or two behind Seungcheol. He's busy pondering Seungcheol's last statement while simultaneously sipping the tea Minghao had prepared for them. It's sweet, unlike Minghao's personality.

"Hey!" Seungkwan's loud shout travels through the backyard as he and Hansol run around the grass. There's a ball in Hansol's hands. Right before Junhui's eyes, Hansol disappears from where he had been standing and reappears on Seungkwan's left instead. 

When Seungkwan stops running and stands there with sweaty skin and an annoyed expression, Junhui hears two laughters. One is Hansol, but the other one is invisible. Mingyu, most likely. He's here too. 

Seungkwan whines. "You're both cheating!" he accuses in frustration, chasing after a squealing Hansol. Mingyu's invisible and no one can see him but he squeals too. "Hansol, stop teleporting! Mingyu, stop being invisible and put some clothes on! You're being gross!" 

"But the game won't be as fun anymore!" Mingyu's voice replies from god knows which direction. Seungkwan huffs. 

"If you guys cheat again, I'll freeze your arms off!" 

"Seungkwan," Seungcheol calls out sternly. Ironically, the teen's the one that freezes. "What did I say about threatening to freeze body parts off?"

"Minghao says this kind of stuff all the time," Seungkwan protests. 

"Don't copy his behavior then. If you freeze Hansol and Mingyu's arms off, they can't play with you anymore, can they?"

"Fine," Seungkwan releases a long, dramatic sigh. Then he runs past Seungcheol to search for Hansol to continue their game of ball.

"Hansol, twelve. Teleportation," Seungcheol informs Junhui. "Seungkwan, thirteen. Cryokinesis. Mingyu, fifteen. Invisibility." 

Junhui replays the vivid image of Hansol teleporting in his head. "I can't believe I just saw that."

All Seungcheol does is chuckle and they proceed with their walk. They make idle chatter— idle because Junhui's still hesitantly contemplating what to ask and say— and stroll past a large pond. They even have such a big pond in the backyard. 

Junhui glances at his own reflection in the crystal clear water, not noticing anything out of the ordinary until a face that most certainly isn't his stares straight back at him from inside the pond.

A shriek almost rips out of his throat and he stumbles backwards as something— someone, actually— emerges out of the water, leaving Junhui extremely appalled. He swears his heart almost jumps out of his chest. 

Seungcheol, however, seems accustomed to such a situation. 

"Jeonghan," his tone sounds exasperated, yet the man that just surfaced out of the pond continues to grin at them mischievously. "Why do you keep doing that?" 

"It's fun," Jeonghan, a man with short blonde locks and a smooth voice responds casually. It sounds as if the two of them have had this conversation many times because Seungcheol sighs like he's heard this response just as many times before. 

"Junhui," he's brought back to reality when Seungcheol places a grounding hand on his shoulder. "This is Jeonghan," the man in the water waves at him, "Jeonghan, this is Junhui." 

"Oh?" Jeonghan positions his elbows on the edge of the pond, cupping one side of his own face. He reeks of trouble. "The one Jisoo saw on the boat today? The boys managed to bring him here?" 

Junhui nods. Jeonghan stares, studying him from head to toe. The heavy gaze on him doesn't fail to make Junhui squirm a bit and Jeonghan's not even standing in front of him. 

"Jeonghan, you're making him uncomfortable." Seungcheol is Junhui's saving grace because Jeonghan finally tears his gaze away from him to direct his attention towards Seungcheol instead.

For how intimidating Jeonghan was, his expression instantly softens when he's looking at Seungcheol and he pouts, "But I'm the best at making people uncomfortable. You know that." 

"Yes, I do. Very well." Seungcheol murmurs. "Now can you lift yourself out of the water, please? I'm giving Junhui a tour and an introduction of everyone."

Jeonghan yawns, "Do I have to?"

"Jeonghan."

The blonde groans, bottom lip jutting out even more but he does as instructed anyway, although his movements seem a bit lazy and sluggish. He braces his arms on the edge before pulling himself out of the water, and where Junhui had expected to see a pair of legs, he sees a tail instead.

"Oh my god." Junhui's eyes widen like saucers. "Are you a mermai—" 

"Don't say it," Jeonghan cuts him off, throwing an arm over his eyes dramatically. "Don't say the word. For the love of god, I am _not_ a mermaid. Doesn't everyone know mermaids consist of only females? Are you all mindless baffoons?" 

Seungcheol gasps. _"Jeonghan."_ he hisses. 

Jeonghan ignores him and places a hand over his chest, "I'm a siren," he corrects Junhui. "You got that, eyepatch boy?" 

Junhui sputters. Albeit he's the one looking down at Jeonghan it still feels like Jeonghan's the one with the upper hand. "Got it." 

The siren's lips spread into a smile. "Good." 

Next, He does what Junhui least expects. Jeonghan surges forward and pulls Seungcheol down by the front of his shirt— which nearly causes him to spill his tea— holding his face in his hands to kiss him. 

Jeonghan pulls away a solid twenty seconds later. Then he winks and dives back into the water, leaving Seungcheol with a wrinkled collar and flushed cheeks. 

"Um," Junhui's jaw has hit the ground, the image he once had of a calm and collected Seungcheol now shattered into pieces. Seungcheol coughs behind his fist as if to hide the redness on his face. "Sorry about that." 

"Jeonghan just kissed you." 

Seungcheol chokes on his tea, "Yes, yes he did." he rubs his nape and sighs. "Jeonghan's my lover. Let's move on now, shall we?" 

He walks off, his pace noticeably faster as if he's in a bit of a hurry. Junhui wordlessly follows, speechless himself. 

They approach a big tree next, where there are more people. A swing is attached to the longest branch and there's a kid who doesn't look a day over ten sitting on it, drawing on a sketch pad. 

"Hello," the kid looks up at Junhui with wide and starry eyes. "I'm Chan." 

Junhui smiles. "I'm Junhui." he waves, then as Chan refocuses on his sketch pad he turns to Seungcheol. "What about him?" 

"Chan is seven. He can draw any event that will occur in the near future on his sketch pad." 

"Woah. That's so powerful." 

"It is," Seungcheol agrees. "His peculiarity is very useful for us to prevent any future dangers. He's the one who told us you were coming, hence why Jisoo flew around the island to look for you this morning." 

Junhui's genuinely in awe. "That's so cool." 

Seungcheol's eyes crinkle into crescents as he smiles. "Speaking of Jisoo," he says, raising his voice. "I know you're up there. Come down and introduce yourself, will you?" 

A bird's squawk is not what Junhui thought he'd hear. He curiously lifts his head and spots a peregrine falcon perched on the tree branch, quietly observing them from all the way up there. Junhui had no idea it was even there in the first place.

As per Seungcheol's orders, the peregrine falcon stretches its wings and flies down the branch, its bird-sized body transforming into the figure of a human male about half a meter off the ground. He's now on his two feet, standing at approximately the same height as Seungcheol. 

"Hello," a man with ash brown hair greets Junhui. "I'm Jisoo." 

"I'm Junhui." 

"I know." 

"You can turn into a bird." Junhui states dumbly.

Jisoo blinks in amusement. "Well, yes. That's my peculiarity. I'm a falcon shape-shifter." 

"So you're the falcon my uncle and I saw when we were on the boat?" 

"I'm the only falcon you'll find on Chinsun, dear." 

Junhui's eyeballs just about pop out of their sockets when Jisoo leans in to kiss Seungcheol's cheek. Looking incredibly embarrassed, Seungcheol smacks Jisoo's shoulder gently and muffles his sigh into his palms. 

"Jisoo's my other lover," he explains tiredly, differing strikingly from the smug grin on Jisoo's face. "The three of us are together. They help me run the orphanage too."

Willing himself not to gape like an open-mouthed fish, Junhui just nods and steers his train of thoughts elsewhere. The head of the orphanage is in a polyamorous relationship. So _this_ is what Seungcheol meant when he said he's lucky he isn't managing the orphanage alone. 

"Jisoo, do you know where Jihoon, Wonwoo, Seokmin and Minghao are?" Seungcheol questions, obviously to change the subject. His blush is hard to not notice. 

"Wonwoo's in the attic like he always is. Jihoon's probably in his room doing his research again. As for Seokmin and Minghao—" Jisoo scrunches up his nose, "They're both probably somewhere in the backyard. I haven't seen them since they came back with Junhui." 

"We'll finish up the introductions with the rest of them afterwards then," Seungcheol decides. They start making their way back to the house, this time with Jisoo in tow. "What was it you wanted to ask me again earlier?" 

"Why do peculiars live in places like this?" Junhui repeats. "Loops, I mean. What even are loops? You said peculiars don't age if they stay in one." 

"They're kind of like safe havens. Because peculiars are rare, they've been persecuted for ages. Therefore the need for loops so we don't all die out." Seungcheol explains. "I belong to a type of peculiar who can manipulate time, so I'm in charge of loops, the safety of peculiars and rewinding the day every day." 

"Who was your aunt then? You said she knew my mother." 

"Her name was Choi Jiae," Seungcheol reveals. "She sent you a postcard when you were fifteen. I don't know if you ever received it though. You never visited until now." 

Junhui reaches into the pocket of his hoodie and pulls out the crumpled postcard Jiae sent him four years ago. 

Seungcheol blinks. "Oh. So you did receive it."

"Yeah, but," Junhui sighs and shoves Jiae's postcard back into his pocket. "I didn't know about it until like, a while ago." 

"That's unfortunate," Jisoo speaks up. "But you're here now, aren't you? That's great." he grins, "Jiae would've been delighted to know you managed to visit." 

"Right. Where is she anyway?" 

Seungcheol gives a sorrowful smile. "She died some time ago."

"I kind of figured," Junhui answers quietly. "She was the headmistress of the orphanage, wasn't she?" 

"She was. She had the same peculiarity I did so after she died, I took over." Seungcheol says.

Junhui nods silently. Jiae's confirmed to be dead. That thought has been lingering in his head for a short while so he isn't that shocked to hear it. 

The three of them walk back to where Seungkwan and Hansol were playing ball, but instead of running around chasing each other, they're standing in front of a tall tree and Hansol has a piece of rope in his hand. 

Levitating up high in the air is Seokmin, rope tied securely around his waist as he struggles to pull Seungkwan and Hansol's ball out of where it got stuck after presumably being kicked high up into the tree. He grunts and tries harder, this time finally succeeding as he lifts the ball up victoriously. 

"I got it!" Seokmin yells, throwing the ball down for a cheering Seungkwan to catch. Hansol tugs on the rope to pull Seokmin back down onto the ground. Before removing the rope, Seokmin puts on what looks like weighted shoes made out of metal to keep him from flying away. 

"Seokmin's seventeen." Seungcheol pipes up. 

"And his peculiarity is that he can float?" 

"Levitation. He's basically as light as air," Jisoo answers. 

Junhui shifts his gaze onto Seokmin, who's slowly walking back to the house in his weighted boots. With each step he takes, his shoes emit a soft clanking noise. It must be uncomfortable, but necessary so he wouldn't float up into the clouds. 

"That just leaves Jihoon, Wonwoo and Minghao," Seungcheol states. "You can go meet them inside the house. I'll chat with you some more later and... we can discuss about the issues regarding my aunt and your mother." 

Turning around to look at Seungcheol and Jisoo, Junhui's lips press into a thin line. "So, uh, I can just go in myself?" 

Seungcheol shrugs, "Sure." he says confidently, like he's perfectly aware Junhui wouldn't try anything. 

And he's completely right. Not when the people that live here have peculiarities and are clearly capable of so much more than they've shown him. 

Junhui quietly thanks them and scurries off towards the house. He brings his tea cup to his lips to get another sip, only for him to be disappointed that it's finished.

Why isn't he getting out of here now that he's no longer in Seungcheol's line of view? This place is madness. He should be finding Hyunsik and taking a boat back to Incheon to resume his dull life under the pressuring supervision of his aunt.

So why is he staying?

He doesn't want to go back to Incheon yet. There are secrets about this place, these people, information about his late mother that could be important to him.

And as weird as these people are, they seem genuinely welcoming. This house seems welcoming too. Since his aunt and uncle are always busy with work and his relationship with his aunt is strained due to their many disagreements, Junhui's never been able to experience such a warm feeling before.

He finds he's quite intrigued by this house of peculiars. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> holy shit it's almost 4am i gotta sleep whoop 
> 
> btw i'd love to hear your thoughts abt this chapter!!

**Author's Note:**

> kudos and comments are always appreciated ( ´ ▽ ` )
> 
> twitter: @uselessentity_  
> watch me cry over jun daily


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